Firewing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Author | Kenneth Oppel |
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| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Series | Silverwing |
| Genre(s) | Children's, Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Released | April 2002 |
| Media Type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-00-639194-X (first edition, paperback) |
| Preceded by | Sunwing |
Firewing is a children's book written by the Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel. It is the third book in the series including two others; Silverwing, and Sunwing.
[edit] Plot introduction
When Shade's son, Griffin is sucked into the underworld, it is up to Shade to find and bring him back.
[edit] Plot summary
It all begins when Griffin (Shade's son) plays with fire and accidentally drops it on a newborn named Luna, who in the end is badly injured.
Far away Shade and his father talk about how Shade feels about his new family, especially how Griffin will think about Shade. Shade still feels like a newborn himself, and can't think to be taken seriously. He asks Chinook for a description, but only says they're all 'weird looking'. They are alarmed when an earthquake begins; Shade flies to his mate Marina. He finds her saying Griffin is off somewhere in the forest, and doesn't know where he is. Upset, Shade searches for Griffin, but Griffin is sucked underground into the Underworld. Marina does not come, for her wing has been minorly damaged.
Griffin meets along the way Luna, who doesn't remember him, due to the fact that she is dead. She soon remembers after Griffin tells her how she got to the Underworld. They now have to get to the Tree that is a way out of the Underworld.
In another part of this world Goth really has died, but wants another chance. He goes to meet his God, Cama Zotz, but almost loses his soul to him. Eventually, he gets another chance; he now needs to absorb "the son of Shade Silverwing".
Shade meets with other allies in the Underworld after he decides to go in. He has two days to find his son.
Griffin still in the Underworld, meets an old elder from the Silverwing colony, Frieda. She remembers Shade and the colony; therefore Griffin now knows the whole truth about his father.
Shade meets with Goth again, who is about to receive another punishment until he gets one more chance.
Shade soon meets Cama Zotz. Zotz explains to him that he needed Goth to "kill" the sun because if it was killed he would return to the Upper World. Millions of years ago, Zotz's twin sister, Nocturna (Shade's Goddess), competed against Zotz for power. Nocturna ruled the Upper World, full of living. Zotz Ruled the Underworld, full of souls. Zotz ultimately killed Nocturna, from whose fall rose a Tree. All the dead who enter this Tree will become as Nocturna is; an intelligence inherent in all of Nature. Since then, Zotz has been banished into the Underworld. Shade realizes that the Underworld is a world generated out of sound by Zotz, and that Zotz's "body" is also made out of sound. Shade seems to kill him after rippping off one of Zotz's heads, but Zotz continues to attack them, though not in a visible form.
Goth fights Shade and his allies to Griffin and fails. Griffin manages to escape. Shade tries to help Luna and Griffin out, but dies in the process. As a result, Griffin and Luna reluctantly absorb what is left of Shade's life (on Shade's request) and manage to return to the Upper World. Shade, however, is officially dead, but manages to get up the tree after Griffin and Luna, to become part of the world above.
